Houthis Threaten Further Attacks on Israel if Gaza Ceasefire Doesn’t Hold

Latest Developments

• Houthi Threats:  Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen threatened to resume missile and drone attacks against Israel in the event that the Gaza ceasefire collapses. In a letter to Hamas’s Al Qassam Brigades concerning the ceasefire in Gaza, Houthi Chief of Staff Yusuf Hassan al-Madani stated that the group is “closely monitoring developments, and declare that if the enemy resumes its aggression against Gaza, we will return to our military operations deep inside the Zionist entity, and we will reinstated the ban on Israeli navigation in the Red and Arabian Seas.” Despite the letter, the Houthis have not issued a formal statement declaring that the group’s attacks have ceased for now.
• Houthi Campaign of Terror: Since the Houthis first attacked Israel shortly after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, atrocities, the terrorist organization has waged a campaign against both Red Sea shipping and Israel, killing at least nine sailors and sinking four ships over two years. After an explosive drone attack in September on the southern Israeli city of Eilat that injured 22 civilians, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to respond to the Houthis “sevenfold,” following with an IDF strike the next day. Since the ceasefire in Gaza went into effect on October 10, the Houthis have not claimed any further attacks against either Israel or Red Sea vessels.
• Houthis Shift Focus to Yemen Amidst Ceasefire: The Houthis have since targeted the United Nations and international humanitarian groups working in Yemen, raiding a UN facility in the capital city of Sanaa on October 18. While all 15 staff members at the facility were unharmed during the incident, the Houthis are still holding more than 50 people captive, many associated with international aid groups, according to UNICEF in Yemen. Separately, the Houthi Ministry of the Interior announced on November 8 the discovery and disruption of an alleged spy ring in Yemen involving the Saudi, American, and Israeli intelligence services, releasing confessions from the alleged spies whom the Houthis claimed were monitoring “Yemeni infrastructure, attempting to uncover the military and security infrastructure, military manufacturing sites, and ballistic missile and drone launch sites.”

FDD Expert Response

“Nothing has been resolved with the Houthis. The group’s objective was to prove that they could force themselves upon the world’s attention and then withstand any blowback from the U.S., Israel, or others. They have achieved that objective. Their disruption of international shipping was only loosely tied to the Gaza conflict: the Houthis had launched attacks against ships long before 2023, and they will do it again whenever it suits them to blackmail the international community.” — Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow

“The latest Houthi statement is unlikely to ease either Israel’s concerns or those of commercial shippers. The Houthis continue to pose as the arbiters of the ceasefire in Gaza, reserving the possibility of resuming terror attacks at their sole discretion. So far, these attacks have been nominally tied to the war in Gaza, but the Houthis will likely continue to use their capabilities to threaten the Red Sea.” — Bridget Toomey, Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“Houthis arrest alleged members of Saudi-American-Israeli spy ring,” by Bridget Toomey

“UAE ‘likely’ building airstrip on strategic island in Red Sea,” by Bridget Toomey

“Houthis signal pause on attacks on Israel after Gaza ceasefire, detail attacks during the conflict,” by Bridget Toomey

“Houthi Chief of Staff Al-Ghamari Confirmed Dead Months After Israeli Targeted Strike,” FDD Flash Brief